Shadow Heart
by Guardian2Be
Summary: Another Dimitri left Rose for Tasha story..PLEASE TRY! RxD R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! **

SHADOW HEART

Chapter One: So not good

He left me. For Tasha. That was my first thought every morning. It had been three years now. About six months after he left, I had my first born. Moroi births are shorter than the human span. Apparently, I could have a baby with a dhampir because of my being shadow kissed. I got up and took a shower. Changing into clean clothes, I walked over to my three year old Arianna. She was sleeping soundly. Not for long. "C'mon, Baby," I coaxed, shaking her gently. She groaned and said something that vaguely sounded like 'Go away, Mom'. "Sorry, Ari, can't," I said, using my favorite nickname for her. "We need to go to Aunt Lissa's house," I told her. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She looked up at me with her father's warm brown eyes that could swallow you whole and never release you. Sometimes I melted under that gaze, but I kept reminding myself to leave that topic alone. "I'm sick," she grumbled, flopping back down into her bed. "Oh, you poor thing," I said, going along with her little façade. She nodded. "I guess you won't get to have Uncle Chris's breakfast…" I trailed off. She shot up and called out to me. "Mom, I'm fine, I was joking," she answered. I turned around and picked her out of her bed and carried her toward the bathroom. After a quick bath, and a change of her clothes, we were ready to go. I walked through the doorway that connected Christian and Lissa's house. They had three of their own kids; Melanie, Jake, and Marisa. Melanie was the oldest at four years old, Jake was 2, and Marisa was 9 months. They were all adorable. Walking in, I got attacked by hugs from their kids. I heard a chorus of "Ari!" and "Auntie Rose!" "Hey guys," I greeted. "We were wondering when you were coming by," Liss said, sitting at the dining room table and talking to Christian, who was working over a stove. "Yeah, we can't eat _all_ of this, you know," Christian snickered turning around briefly. "Thanks, Sparky, that means a lot. I feel so honored!" I said, sarcasm dripping off my voice. Christian smirked and turned back to the stove. I sat next to Liss and talked to her for a couple minutes while eating. I felt the nervous feeling through the bond, and finally decided to ask. "Ok, Liss, what is it? I know you're nervous," I told her, sliding closer. "DimitriandTashaarecomingover," she said so fast, I don't think she understood what she was saying herself. "What?" I got that twitch through the bond that told me I wouldn't like what was going to come. "Dimitri and Tasha are coming over," She said slowly, watching my reaction all the while. "Umm…Why?" I asked, surprising her with the calmness in my voice. "Because Tasha wasn't able to come to our wedding so she wanted to come by and see Christian." She said. Christian turned around from the stove and looked at me, concern in his eyes. No matter how many times I insult him, Christian really was a good guy. I was happy to have him as a brother…Sort of… "It's okay…I'm over him. And Christian, your aunt is a really good person," Wow, where did all of this forgiveness come from? Before they could say anything else, I felt a small tug on my shorts. "Mommy, can we come with you to the gym?" asked Ari, begging with her eyes. I glanced behind her and saw Melanie studying our auras with green steady eyes. Melanie was a spirit user, like her mother. She specialized early. We weren't sure what the other two were yet, it was too early to tell. I glanced up at Lissa. She shrugged, giving permission. "Alright," I said. Ari turned back to Melanie, a smirk of victory on her face. "We have to get going if we want to make it in time." I told them, picking Jake up and taking Ari's hand, leading her towards the door. All three of them loved to watch me fight. Ari's reason I could understand; she wanted to become a guardian like me. The Moroi's reason, I don't know.

The guardians' always had a group fight on Saturday afternoons. One person chooses two guardians' to fight it out. It's like a tournament of sorts. I walked into the gym entrance, and set the kids down on the bleachers to watch, warning them to stay there. "Ready for battle, huh, Hathaway?" someone greeted me. I turned around and saw Guardian Matthews walking towards me. "You know it," I said. I looked down at my black shorts, tight black tank top and black fingerless gloves. With my dark hair pulled back into a side pony, I looked hot and dangerous all at the same time. I saw Matthews give me a once over, like all guys do. I was used to this attention, so I turned around and walked towards the group of guardians that had gathered by the mats. After conversing with the other guardians, it was decided the Guardian Hanne would go against Guardian Matthews. Well, this was going to be a close match. Guardian Hanne came out of circling with a quick kick to Matthews's stomach. He blocked and punched Hanne in the jaw, sending him stumbling. The kids were cheering. Some guardians turned back and saw them, then looked at me.  
"Vasilisa's kids, Melanie and Jake, and Ari," I told them. Lissa hated her full name, but some of the guardians weren't familiar with her Americanized nickname. The guardians nodded and turned back to the fight which Guardian Hanne had almost won. He has been at the royal Court for at least ten years, whereas Matthews has been here for a couple months. Still, he was a pretty good guardian. After the match, Guardian Hans chose the other two. "Guardian Hathaway," he had to pause because the kids were yelling when he said my name. "And Guardian Belikov," He. Did. Not. Say. That. I got pushed a little toward the mat, hearing people making bets. "I bet Rose is going to win." said one. "No way. Belikov was her mentor," When I got there, I saw a Russian God. Crap. "Rose," he greeted, his eyes full of longing and some fear. Fear? I had no time to study that, because Guardian Hanne yelled "Go!" I heard my daughter and her cousins cheering me on. "Go, Mommy, go!" yelled Ari. Melanie and Jake were yelling similar things. Dimitri spared a glance at the girl in the stands next to two Moroi, and then turned to me. I ignored his bottomless dark eyes, and started to circle him. A couple of seconds of that, and he lunged for me, going for a kick. Fortunately, I still knew his moves, because I never stopped using them. I blocked and came out with a punch which he blocked. I quickly crouched down and kicked his legs out from under him. He wasn't ready for that. He fell onto his back. I tackled him, trying to pin him down. But unfortunately, he was still already trying to get up. He struggled from underneath me, and managed to flip us over so I was on the bottom. I kicked him where it counts, and he fell from on top of me, holding the spot where I kicked. I flipped him onto his back and poked his chest. It was over. I heard guardians clapping, and kids screaming. An unexpected voice came through the crowds. "Rose! How are you?" Tasha screeched, pushing her way past the crowd and pulled me off the ground and into a bone crushing hug. I hugged her back gently. It was hard staying mad at a person who was so nice—oh no, I was furious. I didn't show it though. When she released me, she bombarded me with questions. "How have you been? Are those Lissa's kids? Do you have any kids? If so, who with?" She yelled at me. "I'm good. Yes, yes, and one night stand," I answered as truthfully as I could. Dimitri was technically a one night stand. But that first answer: No, I'm so not good.


	2. Chapter 2: And So The Drama Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Hello people of Earth or of various planets…I will be updating And Now That I'm strong soon. We had to do a lot of moving around in my room so now we have to hook up my comp…Ugh…

Anyways, hope you enjoy this

Chapter Two: So the drama begins…

After talking with Tasha and catching up, I told the guardians that I had to return Lissa's kids to her. They nodded, and went on fighting. I walked over to the kids, who were looking wide eyed at the new visitors. "Guys, this is Tasha and Guardian Belikov," Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri studying Ari. "I want you to be nice to them, because they are our guests." They nodded, and Ari ran up to me. I caught her when she jumped up. "Mommy, is _that_ your mentor? Because he seemed to know all your moves and stuff," she babbled excitedly. She always adds 'and stuff' when she's going to start blabbing on, so I just nodded and she went on. Paying only a little attention to my daughter's voice, I focused my eyes on Dimitri. He still hadn't changed, still the Russian God I remember. His hair seemed a little longer, but it was barely noticeable. Beside him, Tasha was talking to Melanie. "Do you know what element you specialized in, Melanie?" she asked, looking down on the little four-year-old. I could tell she didn't like him by the way she looked straight ahead. She wouldn't look Tasha in her eyes. I think she figured out I didn't like her, and she always seemed to copy me. Smart girl. "Spirit," she answered simply, still not looking at her. Melanie had used that tone Lissa had when she didn't like someone but still had to be polite. "I'm not surprised from your mother's abilities." Tasha looked up at Dimitri who was still studying Ari like some kind of science experiment. "Do you know who your father is?" Dimitri asked suddenly, directing it towards Ari. Oh, hell…He did not just say that…

"No," she answered. By then we had arrived at Lissa and my house. We entered, and were greeted by Liss with a hug; A rather short one for Dimitri and Tasha. Liss and Christian knew about me and Dimitri, so Lissa and Christian started hating him and Tasha. Well, Christian couldn't really hate her because he was his family, his only family; but he disliked her. Tasha didn't know about Dimitri and me, so I planned to keep it that way. Although I'm pretty sure Tasha and I would have a 'talk' very soon. Lissa herded us to the dining room, where chicken lay on a platter with plates and forks around the chicken. We all sat down and digged in. After a couple minutes of small talk, Tasha asked a dangerous question. "Do you have _any _idea who the father is?" She asked me. "Some random Moroi," I answered coldly, my eyes slipping into Dimitri's iron gaze. He glanced away three seconds later. I took a bite of cornbread. Tasha leaned back into her chair, obviously noticing the small exchange between Dimitri and I. She glared at me with daggers. Being Rose Hathaway, I glared back. She flinched a little, and then started eating again. It was going to be a _long _night.

**A/N So I was going to end it here, but I'm done with homework so…**

After dinner, we all went to the living room. Sitting down on the leather couches, Christian put on a movie for the kids, and popcorn in the microwave. Ari jumped onto my lap and curled up with a blanket, watching intently as The Land before Time **(One of my fave movies from when I was a kid!) **subtitles came onto the screen. I only paid half a mind to what was being said between Tasha and Lissa, because I was too busy watching Dimitri. Even now, three years later, his eyes still captured mine. He turned his head and met my eyes. In his eyes I saw regret and longing, and…Confusion? He glanced away quickly, and noticed Tasha glaring at me. "Rose, can I talk to you privately?" Tasha asked. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were cold. "Sure," Ari was asleep already so I gave her to Lissa, who took her. _What's going on, Rose? What did you do? _She sent through the bond. I shrugged and followed her out to the patio. She turned to me, anger burning in her crystal eyes. "What happened between you and Dimka before I asked him to become my guardian?" she demanded. Oh, great. There goes my well thought out plan…

**I have to go, but more sometime this week! Not sure how I will fit Updating through all of this Junior High stuff…** **Promise more And Now That I'm Strong sometime…!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	3. Chapter 3:The Talk, Darkness, Drama

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my own mind…

Hey guys! I have to say…Thank you for all of the reviews! You don't know how happy that makes me! Here it goes…

Chapter 3: The talk, darkness, Dimitri, and drama

I didn't realize how dangerous Tasha could be until that moment. She stepped closer to me, balling her fists so that spurts of fire flew all around her. I stepped back and hit the back door. Ow… "Nothing happened Tasha, really," I told her, lying instantly. I've been used to telling lies now, because everyone wanted to know how close I and Dimitri really were…Some people had some guesses that something more had happened than a regular mentor student relationship. So I'd had to tell a lot of lies these couple of days. But Tasha didn't buy it. "Oh no, you don't. I know that you and _my_ Dimka were together. So tell me the truth, now. Who is the _real_ father?" Tasha glared at me and I flinched. The fire was getting closer so now I could feel the heat. "Tasha, you _can't_ be thinking that Dimitri and I had a baby together, because dhampirs cannot have children together, you know that," I told in a sort of duh voice. Tasha rolled her eyes, and then fixed her gaze on me. "I did some research about being shadow kissed," Uh-oh, this can't be good. Crap… "And I found out that you can have babies with dhampirs. Dimitri is the father." She said in a matter of fact voice. "What are you going to do about it, huh? Kill me for having a baby who has no _real_ father? Tasha, you can't do anything about it," It came out cold and harsh, and took Tasha by surprise. "Your eyes." was all she said. At first I was confused, but then I remembered the darkness and how big amounts of stress or anger can turn my eyes black. I needed to stop this; stop this now. "Tasha," I said through gritted teeth, "go inside, and tell Dimitri to come out here," I told her. I expected her to argue, protest that her guardian—or boyfriend…I wasn't sure what Dimitri was to her—will not come out here with me. Instead, she nodded and hurried towards the door, quickening a little by the time she had to pass me. The sliding door slid shut. There was a little punching bag in the corner that I had beat up numbers of times to get the darkness out of me, so I headed over there and beat it to the ground, stuffing popping through the little slits. I was about to kick it, when I heard the door slide open. I spun around and found Dimitri looking cautiously at me. "Rose? Rose, are you okay?" He asked, stepping towards me. He held his hands, palm up, as to not scare me. I had a quick flashback as to when Dimitri and I first met when we were running away from the small high school campus. "I don't know…Are my eyes still black?" "Yes," he said simply. He came closer to me. I then noticed I was shaking, rocking back and forth on my heels, even though it was 70 degrees 11:00 a.m. for humans. "Roza," he said. That one word. That one name would make me do anything for him. I collapsed into his arms, crying into his chest. I wasn't sure why I was crying…Maybe because of my messed up life right now, maybe because the one person I wanted was the one I couldn't have. Ever since Adrian passed….I'd been lost. **(Yes, Adrian did die…Sadly…****) **He pulled back and pressed his lips to my forehead, leaving them there for several seconds. I peeked up and saw his eyes squeezed shut as he breathed in deeply. He tore his lips away from my forehead, and I would give anything to have him lean down and press his lips onto mine, but instead he turned away and walked towards the door. Sliding it open a ways, he looked back at me. "Are you coming?" he asked. I simply nodded and headed inside. To the right was the kitchen, and there was an arch built into the wall that led to the living room. Dimitri and I walked towards the arch, stopping when we heard a loud, chastising voice that belonged to Christian Ozera. We looked at each other, and hid on one side of the wall; me on the right, Dimitri on the left.

"Why would you do that? You know Rose has been hurting ever since you left with Dimtri, and to go out there and grill her about her daughter _and_ Dimitri at the same time? Unacceptable." He seemed angry. Of course, being me, I chose that moment to walk in the living room. I was greeted by a pair of arms and long dark hair that clung to my legs. "Mommy! Where did you go?" Lissa was on the staircase to the left and she looked at me apologetically. She must have been trying to get the kids back to sleep. _Sorry, Rose. I was trying to get them to go back to sleep and Ari ran down the stairs when the door shut._ I nodded to her and took in the rest of my surroundings. Christian was looking sternly at a very smug looking Tasha that was on the couch. "I was outside having a chat," I glared at Tasha and saw a glint of fear in her eyes. "with Tasha." Ari nodded and pulled me over to love seat that was to the right of the couch. There was a small coffee table between the couch and love seat, so Ari jumped onto my lap and snuggled up to me. I grabbed the blanket that was on the back of the love seat, and draped it over the two of us. She fell asleep quickly, and I saw Tasha looking at Ari, Christian looking at Dimitri, and Dimitri looking at me. Lissa was overlooking the whole thing before walking to the back bedroom that the kids stayed in. _Call if you need me. _She said through the bond. As if a switch had flipped, everyone went back to their business. Christian stopped yelling at Tasha while I was there, and I picked Ari up and carried her toward the back bedroom where Lissa was tucking in Melanie. "Back," I told her. "Ok," she said, turning away from her sleeping daughter. "Is it okay if I sleep here tonight?" I asked. "Sure," Lissa said, holding her arms out for Ari. I gave her my daughter, and she set her next to Melanie. We left the room, turning off the light and cracking the door for a little light to come through as we did.

**There you go! Sorry it's so short…Sixth grade is tough…And yes, I am in sixth grade if you hadn't guessed already…Anyways, Gotta go! Promise more later!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	4. Chapter 4:Dad, Tasha, and a session

Disclaimer: I know it; you know it…So why do I have to say it? I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

**I hate school…Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word…I DISLIKE it. Better? No, not really… Now time for the cool stuff…Check out my poll and other stories please!  
**Chapter Four: Dad, Tasha, and a very interesting session

I woke up to sunshine streaming through the window and spilling over my white sheets. I got up and was surprised to see Lissa next to me. Oh, right. _Now_ I remember. I quietly padded off to the private bathroom, stripped down and jumped into the shower. The hot water went a long way to relax my nerves. I got out, reluctant to leave the warm water. After changing into something good enough to wear in public (Lissa always had clothes for me, because I spend half my time here), I walked down the little hallway to get Arianna up. When I entered, I was surprised to see Ari up, speaking quietly to Melanie. I quickly hid behind the door frame and strained to hear the muffled voices. I know that I shouldn't be eavesdropping on my daughter, but I had a feeling in my gut that they were talking about something I wasn't meant to hear; and you know me, always following my gut, even if it could lead me into all sorts of trouble…

"I mean, I like her and all, but Mom seems to really dislike her," they were obviously talking about Tasha. I had to strain to hear the rest of the conversation, because Melanie was speaking so quietly. I did catch some words. "…Rose…love…mentor…auras." Great, just great. Melanie might've figured it out. This was the one thing I wanted to avoid. Well, that and killing Tasha (if possible.) At this moment, I ran back into Lissa's and my room. She was putting on makeup when I burst through the door. "Liss!" I yelled for her. "What is it, Rose? What's wrong?" She asked, coming out of the bathroom to stand in front of me. "They know," "Who knows what?" she asked, sitting down on the bed and watching me pace in front of her. "Melanie and Ari know about Dimitri and me, so they'll eventually come to the conclusion that Dimitri is Ari's father." I told her, just as Ari came through the door, anger radiating off of her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice sounding like an angry fourteen years old rather than a three year old. "Tell you what?" I asked, kneeling in front of her. "That Guardian Belikov is my father!" she screamed, tears running down her naturally tan skin. I flinched. She was rarely angry, and when she was, it was pretty serious. "Sweetie, calm down…Listen, Guardian Belikov doesn't know you're his daughter. I want you to pretend right now, but sooner or later he's going to find out. And when he does, we'll tell him the truth." She nodded and walked out of the room. "Do you mean it, Rose? You're going to tell Dimitri the truth?" Lissa asked. I got up from my kneeing position and flopped down next to her on the bed. "I will if I have to," I told her. Truthfully, I will avoid telling Dimitri that Ari was his daughter. I was too afraid of what he would think…or do. "Rose!" Lissa yelled, moving her hand in front of my face. I was guessing this wasn't the first time she called my name. "Oh, sorry, Liss. I guess I zoned out for a little bit there," I said, standing up. "Want to get some breakfast?" I asked, holding down a hand to help her up. She took it, and got pulled to her feet. "Okay, let me just get the kids and we'll head down." I nodded and followed her out of the room, and into the smaller one across the hall.

Melanie was talking to a crying Ari, trying to comfort her. I knew she was upset I never told her. Lissa went into the room, and I followed close behind. Melanie looked like she was studying my aura…Either that, or she was giving me a mean look. Melanie averted her gaze to her mother, who was rousing up Jake and Marisa. After the kids were up showered and dressed, we head downstairs, where Dimitri was cooking some eggs by the smell, and Tasha and Christian were talking idly. "Daddy!" yelled Lissa's tikes, running down the stairs, racing each other to see who could get to their father first. Melanie reached Christian first, and jumped into his arms. "Hey Mel-bear," greeted Christian, stumbling from the sudden impact—both from his legs being collided, and his chest pushed by his eldest daughter. Tasha chuckled, and looked up at Dimitri, who was putting plates of eggs on the table; each the way they liked it. I and Dimitri were the sunny- side up, Christian, Lissa, and Tasha's were the hard boiled, and the kids' were scrambled. There were also plates of pancakes, sausage links, and hash browns. Some were some Russian breakfast foods, which Liss and I loved to experiment with. Lissa and Tasha made small chit-chat, while Christian talked to Dimitri. Ari was watching him, studying her father. "You know," she said quietly, "He kind of does look like me, except for my nose; other than that, perfect image," she told me, her voice dropping down to a whisper at the end. Lissa was watching us out of the corner of her eye. _Tell me later?_ She asked through the bond. I nodded to her, and turned back to my daughter. "Wait, if Guardian Belikov was your mentor…And he's my dad…" She trailed off and looked up at me. "You were in love with your teacher?" she asked, a little too loudly. By this time, everyone was looking between me and Ari. Some glances shifted to Dimitri's guardian mask, but most attention circulated around me and my daughter. "Yes," I told her quietly. Unfortunately, everyone had heard me. Tasha stormed out of the room, Dimitri went after her, Lissa stared at me, wondering what we were going to do, and Christian's face was unreadable. All of the kids stared at us, and even Marisa stayed quiet. Melanie put two and two together and said, "But that's illegal! And he is seven years older than you! You had Ari when you were 18?" Melanie fired off, enunciating every syllable. "Melanie," said Lissa sternly, scolding her daughter. Melanie looked at Lissa, and they were arguing with their eyes. Finally, Melanie looked back at me. "I'm sorry, Auntie Rose, it's a big shock, that's all," it still amazed me how all of our kids sounded so…grown up. "It's alright, Mel," I told her. Lissa gathered up everyone's dishes, put leftovers in the fridge, and put the pates in the dish washer.

After breakfast, Lissa went off with Christian to do their own thing, leaving me, Dimitri, and Tasha on babysitting jobs… Melanie was coloring with Ari talking quietly, and Marisa and Jake was watching Barney. Dimitri and Tasha were talking, and I was planted between Jake and Marisa. I stared blankly as that stupid purple dinosaur moved across the screen, and focused on what Tasha was saying to Dimitri. "…blood whore. I mean, you should have better taste than her. She'll use you, Dimka. Choose me before it's too late," Tasha said to him, trailing her fingers up and down his arm. Dimitri had his fists clenched, and his eyes were burning with anger. That was the only way to tell that he was furious. Unfortunately, Tasha didn't sense the guardian message hidden in there: Back off. I think she took the furious glint in his eyes for lust, because she scooted closer to him. Dimitri tried to move away, but he was right next to the arm of the couch. I knew I had to do something _now_ so I said, "Tasha, could you watch the kids, because I really need to talk to Guardian Belikov alone," I said in a cold voice. Tasha shot me an icy glare, and then took my spot in between the kids, who scooted away as she sat down. Dimitri stood up and followed me out onto the patio. I made sure the door was locked before turning around to face him. His face was in like a stone; no emotion shone on his face. I took a deep breath before speaking my next words. "Do you love her?" I asked him, staring hard at the ground before glancing up at his face. For a minute, his face was contorted in pain, and then the mask straightened out. The pain was only there for a split second, but I could still see that it took everything he had to keep his mask on. "No," he answered. It still amazed me that after three years, I could still see through the stone face. I would try to crack the stone, hopefully reaching the part of Dimitri that loved me. "I know you're upset; and yes, I did hear what Tasha said," I told him, stepping a bit closer. "Rose…" He trailed off. His eyes were filled with lust now."No, Dimitri. It's fine, really. Tasha doesn't deserve you, but if you want her, go after her," I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth. I glanced down, so he wouldn't see the traitor tears that blurred my vision. He tipped my chin up, and leaned down slowly. I just stared at his lips that were coming down rapidly. We connected. It was like a spark in a room of vacant wood. A wildfire of emotions ran through my veins. I kissed him back, my hand twisting in his silky hair; while his strong arms pulled me closer. I felt his tongue brush against my bottom lip, begging for entrance. I pulled back before he had a chance to go forward and do something we'll both regret. He looked confused, and then realization crossed his features. "We should get inside," was all I said. He agreed and followed me to the living room. When we entered, Tasha glared at me. I glared right back, and scowled when her gaze went to Dimitri. Her eyes went a little lighter at the sight of him. I sat down next to Dimitri on the love seat, so that Tasha had no room to sit with us. He shot me a grateful look. Well, that was before Tasha sauntered over and sat straight on Dimitri's lap. I swore Dimitri growled, so I went and sat down in the arm chair, right next to Dimitri's side. Unfortunately, Tasha didn't get the hint, and remained sitting on his lap. Will this woman ever stop? Dimitri growled so low, and I think it was for only me to hear. "Tasha, could you please get off? There are children here," he told her. Tasha moved over, but rested her head on his shoulder. "We could go somewhere quiet, like the spare bedroom," Tasha suggested, playing with his fingers, trying to get the fist that he had set them in apart. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to get Tasha off of him: my mentor; my daughter's father…My soul mate. I spoke before Dimitri had a chance to. "Dimitri, want to do some training? It's been a while since we've sparred. We could bring the kids with us: They love to watch people fight. Well, the Moroi don't mind, but Ari seems to love watching people break other people's noses." Dimitri nodded and stood up. I stood up too, and told the kids where we were going. "Yeah!" yelled Ari, standing up, and running over to Dimitri. I grabbed Jake's hand, and picked up Marisa. Melanie just walked with Ari, who was now holding Dimitri's hand. Dimitri looked surprised at this sudden gesture, but didn't pull away. It was then that I realized he knew that Ari was his daughter. Well, that makes life easier. When we finally got to the court gym, running into Liss and Christian on the way there, Ari raced ahead and ran through the doors. I heard laughing, so I guessed that the guardians had found her, and recognized her. We walked in, and were immediately met by bows for Lissa and Christian. It had been a while since there was a king and queen, so everyone always bowed down when Liss and Christian entered a room. "Really, guys," said Lissa, gesturing them up. "You've really got to quit that." They nodded and a chorus of 'Yes, Your Majesty's' and all that. I smirked; amused that the guardians would never stop calling her that, no matter how many times Lissa would tell them to stop. Lissa just nodded and led her kids over to the bleachers. It amazed me that Tatiana had to travel with so many guardians, but Lissa didn't. I guess they figured she was safe enough with her bond mate, a fire user, and her original sanctioned guardian; Either that, or Liss had 'convinced' them.

After setting the kids down on the bleachers, I and Dimitri headed for an empty mat. Before we started, I felt a tug on my shorts. "Mommy, can you teach me how to fight?" she asked in a small voice. I glanced back at Liss. _She said she really wanted to, so I told her to ask you. It's okay if you don't want to…_She told me. I nodded to Lissa and smiled down at my daughter. "Okay," I told her. I glanced up at Dimitri and he nodded. I led her over to the mat, and got her feet in the correct stance for a punch to the jaw. Dimitri got on his knees in front of her, holding up two little gloves. She took them and put them on. As I showed her how to curl her fingers and tense herself, Dimitri got two little blockers that were padded to wear on his hands. I went in slow motion, moving her hand in the correct way. I told her to go ahead and try. By now, most of the guardians were watching out of curiosity. Instead of aiming for the blockers, Ari went straight for the kill. Her fist shot out, connecting with Dimitri's jaw. He fell onto his back. He sat up, and by this time, we were all laughing, especially Christian. "You…got…punched…by...a little girl!" he managed to choke out, before falling on the floor in hysterics. Lissa rolled her eyes at Christian's immaturity, and headed over to Dimitri, concern all over her features. Dimitri just stood there, stunned, before chuckling along with us. I stopped laughing, and listened to the musical sound of his laugh. It sounded like a perfect angel choir. "Are you okay, Dad? I didn't hurt you did I?" asked Ari. I immediately recognized her slip in calling him Dad, and everyone kind of seemed stunned that she had called him that. "No, I've survived attacks from your mother, so I'm good. I can see where you get your attitude from," Everyone stopped in their tracks, shocked. I was shocked that Ari had slipped. She doesn't do that often, especially if I tell her not to. She must've meant for this to happen. I suddenly heard a squeak from the open doorway. Tasha stood there, tears running down her pale face. She ran away from the gym, covering her face with her hands.

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! That took long to get out on FF…Anyways, I'm going to make a vow here…**

**I, Cheyenne, will update more frequently, unless I have something important to do…Like watch T.V or something…**

**Thanks for reading!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	5. Chapter 5:Tasha is WHAT!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!  
**1. THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! 2. I love you guys…Okay, so now that the mushy stuff is all over….Hope you guys enjoy! Because I certainly am…Warning: Please do not punch me at the end…**

Chapter Five: Tasha is WHAT?

It was one of those moments where the world takes a huge breath and quiets down for a second. The whole gym was vacant of any noise. Finally, someone spoke. "Nice punch, Ari," That someone happened to be me. Then the whole world started up again. Ari grinned at me, and then looked back down to her father, who was now smiling. "I knew she'd get her fighting skills from you," he told me. Then I saw a look of regret on his face. Even though he didn't love her, Tasha was still his friend; so he wanted to see if she was okay. "Go ahead," I told him, waving my hand towards the door. He nodded and walked out, leaving Lissa no chance to heal him. "How did you do that?" asked Melanie, coming over to join us. "It was pretty simple. Do you want to try?" I looked over to Lissa, who just shook her head playfully and walked out of the gym. There were some royal guards in the gym that went with her. I was taking that as a yes. I peered at Christian. "Want to get beat up by your own daughter by one hit, Pyro?" I asked him. He just shook his head and sat down next to the kids and me. I positioned Melanie's feet, and then taught her the way that I taught Ari. I put on Dimitri's gloves that had blockers on them. Melanie put on the small gloves. "This might hurt more than what you're used to, Mel, since you're Moroi. It barely hurt for Ari because she's a dhampir. Don't hit too hard, and make sure to hit the blockers, not me," I told her, sneaking a glance at Ari at the last part. She giggled. I turned and back to Melanie, who had a look of concentration on her face. Then her fist came out and it felt like a light punch from Eddie. "Nice job, Mel, better than any Moroi I've ever seen," I told her, pointedly looking at Christian, who just scowled at me. I'd seen him fight with actual fists, and he was pretty good. I just said that to make fun of him. Even if he is king, no one can stop us from getting on each other's nerves. Liss had joined us by then. Melanie just nodded, and walked over to her mother, who was just looking at me. I felt shock through the bond. She never expected that Ari would do that, especially with Tasha in the same room. I also felt that she was confused; was wondering why Dimitri didn't react with shock at Ari calling him Dad. _Talk in my room_. She told me. I nodded and took Ari and Jake by the hand. "Come on, guys. Time to go back home," I told them. Ari groaned in disappointment, whereas Melanie looked relieved. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her cradling her fist. I had to hold back my giggles. I told her it would be harder for her.

When we got home, we walked right in the door, and were met with a terrible sight. Blood was everywhere. Crap. I felt nauseas, but not that bad. I made a snap decision. All of the rest were in shock. I told them to stay behind me, whipping my stake out. The kids were in tears, Liss was in shock, and Christian just looked mad. I walked the group up the stairs, and I soon heard sounds of fighting on the other side of the spare bedroom. "Christian, get Liss and the kids out of here, go get help. Now!" I yelled at him quietly. He nodded and obeyed, hurrying the kids out the door. I swung open the door and was met head on by two Strigoi. "Rosemarie Hathaway," one growled. "The one and only," I told him back and quickly slid the stake under the ribs and into his heart. I quickly turned, taking the stake out as I did. The next one was a female. She was obviously new. We circled, and after giving and receiving some vicious blows, I found my opening. I took it and shoved the stake into her cold, unnatural heart. I turned and found Tasha looking at the Strigoi in concentration, trying to set the Strigoi on fire. There was one more, and I quickly joined Dimitri. We had him down in a couple of seconds. "What happened?" I asked him. "Well, I was explaining to her about what happened back at the gym, and then the house was flooded with about thirty Strigoi. Tasha set most of them on fire, but I staked a couple. We had fought our way up until we reached the bedroom. We were finishing up when you guys appeared. Where is the rest?" He asked. I sent them to get help." He nodded. Then the house was overcome with guardians. I felt that Liss and the others were in a safe house, as were most of the Court guardians. Lissa was frantic, trying to figure out if I and Dimitri were okay. She was also asking about Tasha, but I'd rather not say that. "About that," Tasha said. "How did you know that Ari was your daughter?" "I figured it out," Dimitri said. "Rose," Tasha said in an 'I hate you' voice. "Would you mind leaving me and Dimka alone for a couple minutes?" she asked, faking innocence. I wanted to say that it would be hard to be alone with guardians everywhere, but some of them wanted to know what had happened. I guess it was up to me to give them an idea of what had happened. After shooting Tasha a warning glare, I walked off with the guardians.

Dimitri (Switching it up)

"How could you do that to me?" Tasha yelled at me. I could see tears in her eyes. "Do what?" There were a lot of things I did, and it was kind of hard knowing which specific topic we were on. "Why did you run off with…that girl, and have a baby with her? She was just using you!" Tasha screeched. All of the guardians had left right before Tasha had a chance to speak, so her yell bounced off the walls. "She was not using me. Tasha, I love Rose, not you. What part of that sentence do you not understand?" It was unlike me to be so…uncontrolled, but Tasha speaking about Roza in that way was unacceptable. "Here's what I don't understand, Dimitri. I don't understand how you could have just slept with me and shook it off like no big deal!" Tasha hissed. I had only done that once. It was like an experiment of sorts. After I had left Rose, I wanted to see if there was anything there involving Tasha and me. I found out there wasn't, but that came with serious consequences. Like Tasha thinking we were together and what not. I told her that I didn't love her, I never did. After a very…colorful…argument, we managed to straighten things out. We haven't talked about that night since right now. "Tasha, I know what I did was wrong, but I had to see if there was anything for us there," I told her honestly. She just looked at me. "Dimitri, there was something there…Still is, actually," I gestured for her to go on with it. "Well, I'm pregnant." Then my whole world came crashing down on me. I heard a little squeak from the doorway, and there was a sight I never wanted to see. My little Roza, tears running down her sun-kissed skin. Her hand touched her cheek, and she pulled back softly. She seemed shocked that she was crying. She then looked at Tasha, her eyes filled with hate, looked at me, shook her head, and ran up the stairs. Great, now I have two people upset at me.

**Don't hurt me! Just a HUGE important part of the plot I had to put out there….Sorry for the shortness!  
I might have to get rid of And Now That I'm Strong, because it's not getting all that popular…Thanks for reading!  
All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	6. Chapter 6: Questions Unanswered

Disclaimer: I'm too lazy… Go to a previous chapter…

**First, I need to give a shout out to Angel and her cousin. I read your guys' message, but I didn't get your e-mail address…If you could tell me in another review, I could probably e-mail you guys soon, but school is hectic and I may not be able to e-mail as much as I want to…Anyways, enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Questions Unanswered

Rose

I was walking back from talking to the guardians, which was oddly short, because I could only tell some of the story. I'd figured Dimitri and Tasha had had enough time to chat, so I walked back to the living room, still covered in blood. When I got there, they were still talking, so I quietly listened. "…Still is, actually," Dimitri gestured for her to get on with it. I was insanely curious now. "Well, I'm pregnant," tears sprang to my eyes faster than I thought possible. I made a little squeak, and Dimitri's head turned to me. The way he was looking at me, made me know I was crying. I set my fingertips on my cheek and pulled back, surprised to feel wetness there. Since when did I cry? I looked icily at Tasha, and my gaze shifted to Dimitri. My eyes softened at the sight of regret in his eyes, but quickly hardened. I just shook my head at him, and ran up the stairs, barely holding back the sobs that threatened to escape my trembling lips. I slammed my door shut and rested my back on the door. I locked it, and then let the cries escape. My whole frame was shaking. I slipped down the door, my hair sliding up above me. My face flushed. There was a small knock on the door. "Mommy, are you okay?" asked a small voice. I quickly wiped my face. I unlocked the door and opened it. Ari stood there, holding her favorite teddy bear to her chest. "Hey, Kiz," I greeted. Zmey always greeted me with that name. I think it means daughter in Turkish. Ari just looked at me confused. "Your grandpa is Turkish. Kiz means daughter." She just nodded and I pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Ari," I told her. "I love you too," her voice was concerned for me. "Where is Aunt Lissa and Uncle Chris?" I asked her. She just pointed downstairs and left to go with Melanie to her room. I walked downstairs, and I heard angry voices. I stopped to listen again. "…You did that to her! It's bad enough you had to yell at her about her and Dimitri, you had to go and tell Dimitri you're pregnant _while you knew she was there_," Christian was being oddly protective of me. I peeked around the corner, and saw Christian looking at Tasha. He seemed to be expecting flames to shoot out of his eyes. Dimitri looked ashamed, Tasha looked hurt, and Lissa just looked at Christian. She wasn't used to him being this mad. "I'm going to check on Rose," Liss said quietly, and walked toward the stairs. Luckily, I made it to the room before Liss. I closed the door and collapsed on the bed, new tears rising to my eyes, and swiftly sweeping down my cheeks. A minute later, there was a knock on my door. "Come in," I said in a quiet voice. I was afraid that if I spoke louder, my voice would crack. The door opened, and Lissa stepped into the room. She sat down next to me on the bed. I felt safe with her there; which was weird, because I was the one who was supposed to be protecting her. "What happened?" asked Lissa. So I told her everything that had happened, bawling like a baby all the way through. At the very end, I couldn't speak through my sobs, and gave up entirely, collapsing into her lap. She rocked me back and forth, smoothing my hair back and muttering words that sounded like 'It's okay' and 'It'll be okay'. Strangely, this soothed me. She laid me back on the bed, and whispered, "Get some sleep, Rose." I nodded, and made her promise she'd be here when I wake up. She agreed. I fell asleep quickly, darkness luring me into the depths of sleep.

Lissa

I made sure Rose was asleep before getting up and leaving the room. I didn't expect her to wake up soon. I walked back to the living room, where Christian was still ranting at Tasha. I asked Dimitri to talk to me outside. He agreed and followed me.I locked the door, and turned to him. "Dimitri, who's the father of Tasha's baby?" I asked. Dimitri looked down and mumbled his next words, "The baby's father is…"

**I am so Sorry! I will give you a virtual cookie if you do not punch me….**

**I had to put a cliff hanger in there, just for me to figure out if this is the way I want the plot to go…**

**Sorry for the shortness! I promise more soon!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	7. Chapter 7: Anthony Jayden Ozera

Disclaimer: I don't own anything…How many times do I have to say that before you actually believe me?

**I really, really, REALLY, love you guys…Thanks to you I've got over 1,000 hits in the U.S. Thanks!**

Chapter 7: Anthony Jayden Ozera 

Dimitri

I didn't get to finish my words, because there was a scream from inside the house. My guardian alarms turned on, I motioned for Lissa to stay behind me. I opened the door, and the house was in total chaos. Rose was running towards Tasha, who was bent over at the waist, clutching her stomach. Lissa hurried forward, and healed away most of Tasha's pain. Rose reached Tasha and hurried her towards the front door. The kids were all staring, and Christian was guiding them to the door behind Tasha and Rose. I followed with Lissa. "What's going on?" I asked her. "Tasha's having her baby," Lissa told me. Crap.

Rose

I was walking downstairs for some food, when Tasha screamed. Dimitri and Lissa were through the door in a matter of seconds. I started over to Tasha, realizing what was happening. She was in labor. Before I could reach her, Lissa got to her and healed her. I felt the golden flow of magic as she healed her. I got to Tasha and guided her toward the car, Christian, the kids, and Dimitri and Liss following right behind. Tasha got into the passenger seat, making a string of obscenities when she moved. I hurried over to the drivers' side. I don't like—hate really—Tasha, but I've been through this before. I knew that it hurt like a b**ch.

Dimitri

We got to the hospital, and I could tell Tasha couldn't walk, so I scooped her up in my arms. Rose and I started in a full sprint. Rose was very fast, and that helped right now. The Moroi lagged behind. To my complete astonishment, Ari was running as fast as us. Of course, Rose and I were naturally fast, so this shouldn't be a shock. We entered the hospital and some nurses and a stretcher took Tasha away. Rose and I looked after the stretcher until it turned the corner. "Well, this sucks," she said, looking down at the ground. "Why would you say that?" I led her over to the waiting room, where the Moroi were, looking out of breath. We both sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chairs. "Well, the baby is yours, right? What are you going to do once the baby's born?" she paused before her next words. Her voice sounded frantic and worried. "W-Will you leave me again? Oh, god. I knew this would happen! You'll run off with Tasha again and…" she trailed off then started again. But before she could get one word in, I made sure no one was around other than the Moroi which knew our secret. I kissed her, trying to calm her down. Electricity crackled around us as our lips moved together. I pulled apart just in time to find a nurse walking down the hallway.

Rose

He pulled away from our kiss, leaving me dazed. At first I couldn't understand why he'd pulled away, but then I saw a nurse. "Are you with Natasha Ozera?" We all nodded. "Well, the baby had a successful C section, and Tasha is stable now. You may go see her. Just follow me, please," she told us. She walked back down the hallway. We all trailed after her. _What happens if it's Dimitri's baby?_ Asked Liss through the bond. I shrugged. She looked at me doubtfully, looking through the façade of calmness I put on.

When we got there, Tasha was holding a little blue bundle in her arms. Lissa immediately ran forward and leaned over Tasha's shoulder to see the little boy. He had sharp green eyes, and blonde curls. He looked a little like Adrian. "Do you know who the father is?" asked Lissa. "Well, of course he's Dimitri's, why wouldn't he be?" Tasha asked, glaring at me. "That lie could work, except for one thing: He has green eyes and blonde curls. No possible way could that be Dimitri's child." I pointed out. "She's right, Tasha. I used protection that night. Therefore, he couldn't be mine." Dimitri said sharply. I leaned over and whispered, "Thanks for backing me up, Comrade." I saw his lips quirk up at the old nickname I hadn't used ever since he'd left. "Always, Roza," he said. My heart skipped a beat at my Russian name. It sounded beautiful and fierce all at the same time. Tasha just glared at both of us now. "Aunt Tasha," said Christian, joining the conversation. "Who is the _real_ father?" he looked at her with a stern look that seemed to say _tell the truth_. "I can't tell you," she told us, looking smug. It was said in that 'I know something you don't know' voice. Everyone was wearing poker faces, but my anger shone through. I really wanted to smack that look off of her face. _Rose, calm down. She'll tell us when she's ready. But please don't lose yourself now in front of the kids. We can talk to her alone when we get home._ Lissa said to me in my mind. "How long until you get out of this place?" asked Christian, changing subject. "As soon as I'm ready," she answered. "Have you thought of a name?" Liss asked, still looking at the little Moroi. "Anthony Jayden Ozera," she told us. "Jayden was my Grandfather's name," We all just nodded. "Well, we'll let you get dressed and stuff. C'mon guys," Lissa said, ushering us out.

A couple minutes later, Tasha came out, holding Anthony to her chest. "Ready to go?" she asked us. We nodded, and we all walked toward the exit, having Tasha sign some papers on her way out. We got into the car and drove off, heading to the house that we all shared for the time being. When we got there, the attention was all on Anthony, and I managed to pull Tasha away from the crowd. "But I have to feed Anthony," she told me, protesting. "Lissa knows how to do it. Don't you, Liss?" Lissa nodded but gave me a curious and warning glance. The warning: Don't do anything stupid. Well, Tasha pushed me past the not doing anything too harsh line…Guess we'll have to see how this turns out…

**Okay, you guys. I managed to get this one unleashed onto the world. I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Big Rose getting back on Tasha scene next chapter, which will be soon!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	8. Chapter 8: Flashback Flames

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything….Believe me yet? **

**OMG, I loves you guys! **

**Hope you like it!**

Chapter Eight: Flashback Flames

Rose

I pulled Tasha into the bedroom that Dimitri and her *shiver* share. "What do you want?" She sneered. "Well, first I want to know why you would lie to Dimitri about him being the father," I told her. "And second, I really want to beat the crap out of you. So, tell me the first answer." "I knew I would have to lie to him. I was _protecting_ him. You see, he doesn't love you. He loves me. All he wanted you for was a pass time. Nothing more. I'm sorry you had to find out this way but…" She shrugged. No. That couldn't be true. Could it? I remembered the time when he told me.

_Flashback_

_I was walking with Lissa around the school grounds, talking about random stuff, when Dimitri stopped in front of us. I remembered last night. _**(There was no strigoi attack) **_I smiled up at him. "Hey, Comrade, nice of you to join us," He didn't smile back. Now I was worried. "Rose," he started. Not Roza. Dang it, what had I done wrong? "Can I talk to you in private?" he asked. "Of course," I said. I told Liss that I'll meet her in the cafeteria. We had walked in silence, and I realized he was leading me to the front of school grounds. When we got out to the North gate, Tasha was there, smiling like the Cheshire cat. "What's going on?" I asked him. He stopped abruptly, and stepped in front of me, making me come to a stop too. "Rose, I accepted Tasha's offer," I knew it pained him to say those words. Tears came to my eyes, and one came down my cheek. He stopped whatever he was about to say, and tried to wipe it away. I let his hand do it. Once his hand made contact with my skin, electricity shocked us both. He pulled back. "Static," was all he said. I think he meant it in the way you rub your socks on a carpet type of static, but his eyes said differently. I just nodded. Another silent tear made its way down my skin, others following the trail. "Why?" my voice was cold, unemotional. "Because I don't…" he stopped, took a deep breath and continued. Although his eyes wouldn't connect with mine. He stared at the ground. "I don't love you anymore," he told me. I nearly fainted then and there. I wasn't one for fainting, but I swear I could have keeled. I swayed a little and Dimitri grabbed my arm to steady me. A warm heat flushed through me. I shivered. He quickly checked behind him to see if anyone was watching. No one was. He lowered his lips toward my forehead, but I wasn't having any of that. I got up on my tip toes and kissed him full on. Love, passion, and longing flowed through the two of us. He let go, way too fast, I might add. "Goodbye, Roza," He said. "Bye, Comrade," I told him. He turned his back to me, walking to Tasha, who glared at me from over his shoulder. They drove off. I ran back to my dorm. Later that night, I told Lissa everything. That was also the night I found out I was pregnant._

_End Flashback_

No. Not true. Not with the way he kissed me. The longing in his eyes couldn't have been fake. That was when the darkness fully consumed me. It had been sneaking up on me, and I had been able to let it go with training. Well, I only had one punching bag now. Tasha. I lashed out, punching her in the nose. I heard a crack. Blood came out. She screamed. It wasn't a very long scream, because I punched her again. She stood up, taking on that concentrated look that Moroi get when working there magic. Before fire could light me up, I kicked her hard in the stomach. This was a full out scream, and Dimitri, Christian, and Lissa were in the room in seconds. By that time, fire was in a ring around me, rising all the way up and closing in fast. Christian lunged toward his aunt to get her to stop, Lissa was looking shocked, and Dimitri was trying to find a way through the fire. Of course, that wasn't happening, because Christian hadn't landed a hard enough blw to knock her concentration. Dimitri seemed to realize this and moved stealthily toward her, but not quick enough. The fire brushed against my skin, burning me. I screamed. It was at least four degree burns if I remember correctly. A black haze filled my vision. But I had to stay conscious. Because if I fell over now, flames would consume the rest of me. But then again, the fire was already doing that. The little tunnel I was in started to move closer. Fire some spots of my arms and legs. I screamed again, and fell backward, just as the flames disappeared…

**Sorry for the shortness…I expected a really big Tasha and Rose fight too, but I had an amazing idea that'll put a whole new twist to the plot. I know, twists and turns everywhere ^_^… I have a secret….Here's the secret…You'll never know what happens until the next chapter! I'm so evil!**

**Review!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	9. Chapter 9: The Unthinkable Happened

**Disclaimer: Still don't believe me, huh? Okay, fine. I don't own anything!**

**Megsies, By Tasha saying "Sorry you had to find out this way, but…" She's trying to pass off that Dimitri didn't love her anymore, and was just too scared to say anything. Tasha was trying to be the messenger, and Rose didn't buy it…And, yeah. You know the rest. And don't worry. You probably aren't slow!**

**You guys rock. Yep, I'm going to keep saying that because you people have made a world of difference for me! Warning: Most of you will be shocked…**

Chapter 9:The Unthinkable Happened

Dimitri

Lissa, Christian, the kids, and I were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Tasha's first scream. She did make a little sound, but it was cut short. It was pretty obvious that Rose would win. She has killed almost fifty Strigoi already. But I guess being the Queen's head guard and being Shadow kissed counted for something. Upstairs, we heard something crack. Tasha screeched. Two minutes later, Rose screamed. Tasha's yell sounded like a man, but Rose's scream? That was movie worth. We were there in seconds to see Rose nearly engulfed in flames. Lissa just stopped and stared, whereas I found a way to get to Rose. She looked ready to pass out. But she saw me through the flames, and our eyes connected. She wanted me to kill Tasha's concentration. I saw Christian try to land a blow, but he wasn't strong enough. I went over, and punched Tasha in the jaw. She flew backward and the flames died out, just as Rose fell to the floor. "Rose!" Lissa screamed, running up to her very badly burnt best friend. She healed the worst of her injuries, but we made her stop. We took her to the clinic. Well, I ran to the clinic, the Moroi tried to keep up. The kids were out of the house now, and chasing after their parents. Ari already past the Moroi, and was quickly keeping pace with me. "What happened to Mommy?" the worry was clearly in her voice. "Momma's going to be fine, Honey," I told her, speeding up more, pushing myself to the limit. Ari fell a little behind at that moment. I got there first and began yelling for help. "Hey, Comrade…" Rose said, opening her eyes just a little. She was sliding out of consciousness, I could tell. "Roza, stay with me. Please, don't go to sleep yet. We have a daughter to raise. Don't leave me." As the nurses took Rose out of my arms, I heard her whisper, "No promises, Comrade…" My lips quirked up at the old nickname. But then I realized what she'd said before that. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to take her back in my arms, protecting her. But some rational part of me—a voice that sounded suspiciously like Roza's—said: _But to protect her, she needs help that you can't give. Once this whole thing blows over, you'll be able to hold her again…_ The voice trailed off. I watched as the nurses ran the stretcher through some doors that said Emergency on the front. Lissa, Christian, and the kids came through the door. I looked for Tasha, but she wasn't with the group. "Dimitri! Is Rose okay? What happened?" she fired off. I just shook my head and walked toward the waiting room. Ari followed silently. We sat together, my daughter and I. Everything was quiet, until Ari made a little squeak noise. I glanced down and she was crying silently. She looked just like me, but she looked like her mother when she was sad like that. I pulled her small frame onto my lap, and wrapped my arms around her. She cried freely into my chest. I hugged her closer and whispered comforting messages in Russian. A couple hours later, Ari fell asleep. I held her in my arms, watching the clock. I glanced over to check on the Moroi. I nearly laughed at what I saw. Christian was the only one awake of the five. Lissa was leaning on his left shoulder, little Marisa, the baby on her lap. Melanie was leaning against Christian's right shoulder, and Jacob was in his father's arms. Christian was engulfed by hair and limbs: Only his face was sticking out. I only had one…I nearly had two, but…Tasha was lying. Tasha. Where was she? I set Ari on the double seats, the one with no bar in the middle, and told Christian to stay awake in case a doctor comes out. Leaving Roza was the last thing I wanted to do, but my guardian senses wouldn't allow one Moroi to be missing, even Tasha. I walked out into the night air. It was the middle of the night for humans, but noon for us. I went back to the house, and walked through the door. Tasha was sitting on the couch, watching T.V. Now that I knew she was safe, I really needed to knock some sense into her. Rose had taken the violent approach, but I'm just going to yell at her. "Tasha! What was that? Rose is seriously injured because of you!" I would have gone on, but she cut in. "That blood whore deserved it," she simply said. "She is not one of those…things. Rose helped you when you went into labor, no matter how bad she hates you," I paused and glared at her. "And after all she's done, you burn her," I said it quietly, deadly. I was waiting for a reaction, and I got it. She stood up, and glared at me, coming a couple steps closer. I stood my ground. Her glare turned into compelling eyes. "I want you to love me like I love you; do you love me, Dimka?" I almost said yes, but then I realized what she was doing. Dhampirs were pretty compulsion resistant, anyway. "No," I answered. She looked shocked that I had broken from her compulsion. "How did you…?" She couldn't finish. I dragged her toward the clinic. "Let me go!" she screamed all the way there. Fortunately, she didn't think to use her magic to stop me. When we finally got in, Tasha acted like it hadn't been against her will to go in. I led her toward the waiting room. A couple minutes later, a doctor came out. "Are you with Rose Hathaway?" he asked. I nodded. Ari had woken and went to stand beside me, gripping my hand hard. "She's stable now; you can talk to her, but…" He was going to say something else, but we all pushed past him. We knew which room she was in, so we ran down the halls, bursting into room 301. There she was, sitting up in her bed, glancing at us curiously, a hint of fear in her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked. We glanced behind us, and there was no one there. "W-what do you mean, Rose?" Lissa asked coming closer to her bedside. The guardians around the room looked worried too, forgetting their guardian masks altogether. I knew Rose had to be one of the best of them here, so this must be hard for them. But that was nothing compared to my feelings. It was a tidal wave of emotions—worry, fear…Christian followed Lissa, finally back from bringing their kids to the house, but Ari to leave. Ari ran toward her mother, not noticing the surprised look that Rose gave her. Ari was about to jump on her lap, when a voice spoke from behind me. "This is what I was trying to say. Rose has amnesia."

Christian

I couldn't believe it. Rose Hathaway, _the_ Rose Hathaway, has amnesia. I didn't hate her, not really. She was more like a sister. And I didn't like that my sister has forgotten everything. I just hoped we could install her whole life back in, before Rose started to beat somebody up. It was then that I decided to speak up. "Rose, do you remember anyone in this room?" I asked, gesturing around. She looked hard at every single person, lingering on Lissa's tear soaked face the longest. They locked gazes. The bond! I was hoping Lissa was putting it to good use…

Lissa

Rose. Has. Amnesia. It just didn't seem possible, couldn't be possible. "W-what do you mean, Rose?" I stuttered out lamely. The tears started falling, soaking my pale face—that had grown infinitely more pale from the minute she fainted. I hurried over to her bedside. Ari ran toward Rose, not even looking at the weird look Rose gave her daughter. She was about to jump on her, when a voice spoke from the doorway. Dimitri moved out of the way to reveal the doctor. "This is what I was trying to say. Rose has amnesia." I tried as hard as I could to focus on the bond. _Rose, can you hear me?_ In the real world, Rose and my gazes were locked. She gasped and nodded. "But how can…?" "Rose, what's the last thing you remember?" I asked. She focused hard, and little dots of perspiration came over her face. "I remember riding in a car," she said. "Who was with you?" Dimitri asked gently. "Umm…You were there…" she pointed to me. "And some people that looked like you…" Rose was trying so hard to remember, and that could put a strain on her brain right now. "Take your time." Dimitri said, coming over to stand by me. "I'll take all the time I want, Comrade," Rose said. She looked astonished at the use of the nickname, like she never even used it before. Dimitri's lips quirked at the nickname. Maybe Rose isn't so gone after all; she just needs some reminding….

**There you go! The long awaited Chapter 9! Luvs you all!  
All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	10. Chapter 10:Remembering Well, kind of

Disclaimer: Look in a previous chapter, too lazy right now. It's a long weekend, sue me.

**Hey guys! Since I'm so very awesomeful, I decided to write you up another chapter…And yes: There will be a sequel. I've already decided on a name: Dark Beauty. It's not up yet, so don't go looking. I will have the info on my profile. Check it out! Hope you enjoy…**

Dimitri

Rose believed everything; Well, except for the part about me and her. "Do you want proof?" "Well, that would help, now wouldn't it?" She said. I was happy to see the normal Rose attitude that we've all come to know and sometimes maybe love. She wants proof, I give her proof. I kissed her on the cheek, but before I could pull away, Rose turned her head so we were kissing. She broke the kiss, a light blush covering her cheeks. "What? Something made me do it. I don't know what, but it did," she told us, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now do you believe me?" I asked. She just nodded, and said, "For now." Lissa saw some of her worse burns, and healed them. Rose took a sharp intake of breath. "You weren't kidding about that, were you?" she didn't expect anyone to answer her. "When do I get out of this stupid place? They really need to put some decorations or something up, so someone like me doesn't die of boredom." Christian laughed outright at this. Rose glared at him. He shut up, and cringed. "What, look into the mirror again, Pyro?" she asked. It was refreshing to hear Rose's and Christian's banter again. Christian chuckled. "No, I just looked at you, Hathaway," he said. Rose just shook her head playfully, and asked again when she could get out of the hospital. This time someone answered. "As soon as you want, Rose," the doctor said.

Rose

I was starting to remember, kind of. "When do I get out of this stupid place? They really need to put some decorations or something up, so something like me doesn't die of boredom," I said. Christian laughed at this. I glared at him and her shut up and cringed. "What, look into the mirror again, Pyro?" I asked. "No, I just looked at you, Hathaway," he said. Hathaway…Hathaway…Oh, right. I think that's my last name. Either way, I decided not to dignify that with a response, and asked again when I could get out of here. A man's voice spoke up from the doorway. "As soon as you want, Rose," he said. I just nodded and he came over and took the I.V. out of my wrist. **(A/N I've had this done to me before, multiple times, cuz I'm a premature. 1 pound 4 ounces) **There was a pinch of pain, and then I was free after they took the clip thing off of my finger. I was happy to see I wasn't in one of those flimsy hospital gowns; instead I was in my own clothes. "Yeah, I'm free!" I did a little victory dance, and they all cracked up. Well, that brought back some memories. I remembered how I always made Lissa laugh when we were little. I remembered striving to get Dimitri to even do a half smile. Ari, my daughter, I now remember, ran up to me and hugged my legs. "I'm so glad your okay, Momma," she told me. "Me too, Ari. Me too," was all I said. She released my legs, only to grab onto my hand. She squeezed it as hard as she could. I'll say this; the girl's got a grip. I squeezed back gently. We went to the lobby, and I had to sign some stupid paperwork.

Christian

I was happy on the way back to the house. I looked happy, at least. What I wasn't excited about was the fact that Tasha left the hospital as soon as she had gotten the chance. I was scared about how traumatized—or lack thereof—Rose would be. We entered the house, and saw Tasha lounging on the couch, looking up at our entrance. For a moment, we all just stared. Well, we were looking between Tasha and Rose. Rose's expression was fierce, unforgiving. Tasha's expression was blank, a hint of fear in her eyes. Tasha decided to break the silence with a sneer. "Glad to see your better, Blood.." she didn't get to finish, because someone lunged toward her and punched her in the nose. No, that someone wasn't Rose—it was Ari. The three year old literally socked her in the nose. Tasha fell back onto the floor, shocked. "My mother is not one of them," her voice was a perfect mix of Rose and Dimitri's. She had Rose's self control, and Dimitri's quiet deadly voice. All we could do was hold our breath and wait for what would happen next…

**Cliffie! I feel so bad for putting all of these twists and turns in there, and leaving it hanging at the worst moment possible… Sorry for the shortness!**

**Want to know why I'm doing this? Because I'm evil (in the author kind of way). :D**


	11. Chapter 11: Stupid,Crazy Fire User

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Get off my back!

**Hey you guys! I luv you soo much! That sounded wrong but whatever… I'll keep the poll up for a day, so the poll will be up until Monday. Remember to vote!**

**Anyways, here you go.**

Chapter 11: Stupid, Crazy Fire User…

Rose

My daughter really was like me. I had a quick memory—a new one that came to my mind right when she punched that sorry bitch Tasha—of when Ari had punched Dimitri in the nose. Except this time, it was actually meant to hurt. I had heard just a small crack, which meant Tasha's nose was fractured. "My mother is not one of them," her voice was quiet. Ah, she was using my technique. Be quiet. Why is that? To make them listen. It was why I won 99.9% of all fights. "Maybe to you, little girl. But we all remember her teens and childhood years…" Tasha trailed off. They all looked disgusted in Tasha. Well, not me, because I can barely remember them myself. Ari just looked at me and took my hand again. "Tasha, I think you should go," Christian said. He's been like a brother to me, very protective, actually. "Oh yes, so Rose can continue teaching her child how to become a blood…" but she didn't get to finish, because I did a roundhouse kick—something I didn't know I could do, or at least couldn't remember how to do—kicking her successfully in the stomach, pushing Ari behind me in the process. Tasha flew backward, onto the staircase. She yelled in pain as I heard a crack from her arm. "Get out, Tasha. I don't want to see you ever again." I told her. She got up and went straight to Dimitri. "You will fight for me, won't you Dimka?" she asked. I saw his eyes glaze over, but before I could do anything, Dimitri turned to me, getting into a fighting stance. Crap. I don't even remember how to fight! I just mirrored him anyway, telling Lissa and Christian to get Ari and their kids out of the house. Lissa wanted to help, but I convinced her I'd be fine. We circled, and he leapt out to attack, his fist moving fast to the side of my head. I easily blocked and kicked him in the stomach. Little flickers of memory were coming back to me: Me and Dimitri fighting in the gym, about how I was an even match for him. He stumbled back, but quickly regained balance and came at me again. Well, this isn't good. I can barely remember fighting, but each second, moves were floating back to me. I did remember one important thing though, he was a god at fighting! Let's see if this kills me. He tried to kick my legs out from under me, but I jumped to avoid it. He stood up abruptly and tried to distract me. He was saying to look at Tasha, or something like that. "Um, not working Comrade," I said. That seemed to snap him out of the compulsion, but just for a second. That second was all I needed though. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to. While he was distracted, my fist shot out and connected with his jaw. I remembered at the last second that his jaw was a weak spot for him. He crumpled to the floor. I was panting hard, both with tiredness and with rage as I turned to Tasha. She was just about to control her magic, when the room was bursting with guardians. Some guardians ushered me away to the clinic, their faces familiar. I knew the lady was Alberta, but I didn't recognize the guy. "Rose, what happened in there?" asked Alberta, looking concerned; I guess because I was stumbling to keep up with them. "Hathaway," said the guy, "Guardian Petrov asked you a question," he had a sneer edged in his voice. Ah, yes. Now I remember. Stan Alto. A guardian teacher; Also the guy that I hate most both in school and in Court. "I don't know. I think Tasha used compulsion on Dimitri, and made him fight me. With my amnesia…" "You have amnesia?" asked Stan incredulously. "Yes. But don't worry, Stanny, Dr. Michael said it won't last long. Now, as I was saying; with my amnesia, I had forgotten how to fight, but I guess my body reacted on its own." We had reached the clinic by this point, and it seemed that my ankle was slightly fractured. I went to my regular room, 301. I lay down in the bed, just as doctor Michael Bear walked through the door. "How's my favorite number one patient today?" "Okay, but I think my ankle is fractured. And do you know when this amnesia thing is going to go away?" I asked. He held up a finger to signify that he need a minute as he flipped through my chart. "Your amnesia should wear off in a day or two. You're lucky Dhampir amnesia cases usually don't last that long." I just nodded. "Let's take a look at that ankle, shall we?" without waiting for an answer, he lifted my jean pant leg up and took my shoes and socks off to get a better view. "Well, it's definitely swollen, I think you should be fine after a day, just keep it on ice. I want to see how this clears up on its own." "Okay, thanks," I told him. He just nodded and left the room. I put my sock and shoe back on, and walked carefully back to the house, wondering what was going on there.

When I got there, Lissa and Christian were talking to Dimitri. When I shut the door, Lissa and Christian's heads looked over to me, looking surprised. Dimitri knew I was there from the moment my feet hit the porch. Yeah, we were just that good. "Rose! Are you okay?" asked Lissa, hurrying over. "Fine, I'm fine, Liss. Just a fractured ankle, I've had a lot worse," I said, glaring at Tasha at that last part. Lissa nodded, and Christian came over and led me to the arm chair, supporting most of my weight. "Thanks, Chris," I said. He just nodded. Lissa was by my ankle in a second. "Let me heal it, Rose. Please?" I shook my head. "No, Lissa, the doc wants to see how this'll heal on its own," I told her. She just nodded. She felt a little disappointed because I didn't want her to help. It's kind of weird having her emotions in my head. I guess it was just an amnesia thing. "Lissa, it's just that the doctor wants to see how fast I heal. Don't beat yourself up over it. Trust me, I don't want this, either," just like that, her bad emotions disappeared only to be replaced with a calm happiness, with anger towards Tasha. Christian wound his arm around her waist. Lissa leaned into him. I was happy to see them in love. I knew Lissa was safe with him. I glanced over to Dimitri, who was looking at me. "Rose, I didn't mean to…" "It's okay, she was compelling you. I know you didn't have control over yourself," he looked grateful. _Why didn't the guardians at least lock her up or something like that?_ I asked myself bitterly. _Rose, was that you?_ Lissa asked in my head. "Was what me?" I asked out loud. "I think I heard your thoughts. Say something to me in your head." Lissa commanded. _Um, Lissa?_ I asked. Her face had gone blank. _Oh my gosh! I heard you! So we can have conversations in our heads whenever we want?_ I asked in her head. _Yeah! _Lissa's voice was packed with excitement. I Had a feeling that both our faces were blank. Christian was trying to get Lissa's attention. _Liss, I think Pyro wants your undivided attention._ She rolled her eyes at the nickname that I had given Christian, and turned to him. "Guess what!" she yelled at him. He stepped backward, holding his ears. "Jesus Christ, what?" he asked. Lissa blushed than told him in his ear. "So that's what you've been doing the past five minutes I've been waving my hand in front of your face?" he asked incredulously. We both nodded. "Ah, yes. That's great. But tell me, can Lissa feel you?" asked Tasha. She had a little sneer in her voice, making me wonder what she was up to. "Yes. And she's suspicious." "So is she," we both did a glare at the same time. "Now they're twice as powerful," I heard Christian say to Dimitri. He choked on a laugh, trying to hide it unsuccessfully. Tasha peered at him. "What's so funny?" _Your face._ I answered her question in my head. Lissa heard it too and we both started laughing. Well, that was until Tasha went psycho, deciding to lunge for Lissa. She screamed. My body reacted fast, so did Dimitri. He yelled at Christian to get the kids out and get some guardians, while I shoved Lissa behind me. Shielding her with my body I told her to go with Christian. She nodded and left, running out the door. Tasha sent a flying streak of fire at Dimitri's face. "Dimitri!" I yelled. He understood and ducked. The fire left a mark on the beige wall. Tasha attempted a sloppy punch. I blocked and kicked her into the kitchen, through the arch. Dimitri was right behind me as we entered the kitchen. Tasha was nowhere in sight. Great, we were now inside a large house with a crazy fire user, who just attempted to kill the queen. Dimitri pointed me off to the stair case as he went downstairs into the basement.

Dimitri

You know those horror movies that have you screaming at the person who was about to enter the scary room? Yeah, my conscience was yelling at me to not enter that place. I went against it and pushed open the door. There was a loud squeak from its hinges—seeming too loud, penetrating the silence. I flipped the light switch on which was just next to the door. After I completed my search for Tasha, I started to head upstairs when I heard a shriek. I went up the stairs two at a time, praying to whoever was listening that Roza was okay.

**I know that's kind of short, but I really wanted to get this out there. Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	12. Chapter 12: Final Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

**Okay, you guys, this is it…The Grand Finale of SH. No, this will not be the end of this story line, there will be a sequel: Dark Beauty. It will be set at least after SH I will have an A/N after this chap. Check there for all the deets.**

Chapter 12: Final Fight

Rose

I went up the stairs quietly, feeling like a ninja with every step. I reached the top, and went into the spare bedroom. I peered around, opened the closet, looked under the bed, nothing. I got up from the floor, done with my searching under the bed. When I turned around to face the door, I got tackled. I didn't have enough time to respond. Tasha had me pinned on the wall, holding a knife to my neck. "I told Dimka you won't be good for everything. But, of course, he didn't listen. He was too involved by the likes of you." Tasha's voice had an insane edge. "That's because he had good taste," I told her. She laughed an evil laugh that could win Oscars. Then she took the knife and sliced a thin line on my neck. Blood came gushing out. It wasn't deep enough to kill me, but it hurt. I screamed. A couple seconds later, right before Tasha was about to dig in deeper, the door got busted down by a tall Russian God. Tasha glanced back at the murderous expression on Dimitri's face. Those small seconds gave me enough room to sucker punch her in the face. The knife flew from her hand as she stumbled back. Dimitri charged, but before he could reach us, Tasha put a wall of fire that spread from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Crap. Well, it's me or her. "Go, Dimitri! I'll be fine! Don't come back without a herd of guardians!" I screamed at him. He obeyed, giving me a look of love before disappearing through the door.

I turned my attention to Tasha, who had picked up the knife. We circled, and she leapt out, attempting to kick me in the stomach. For someone who's taught fighting classes **(A/N It's true, she does teach fighting lessons, it said in Frostbite)**, she wasn't very good. I'm guessing at least a red belt. I blocked the kick, and gave her a punch to the nose, easily breaking it. She yelled out in pain. She glared at me, our gazes locked. I could tell Lissa was in my head. _Lissa, quit worrying, I'll be fine. There'll be a lot of guardians here in a couple minutes—if not seconds._ She got out of my head, but still kept tabs on what was going on. I kicked her straight in the stomach. She stumbled back and we went back and forth, blocking and receiving vicious blows. The guardians got there, bursting through the door. Well, that's not going to help with the wall of fire in between us. All of a sudden the windows glass burst open. I felt this weird burning sensation within me. I focused on a piece of glass that was lying on the floor. The glass started to lift up and float in the air. I flicked my gaze to Tasha. The glass did what I said, and flew to Tasha. What the hell? It hit her in the leg. I guess my eyes were black again. I packed up all the pain I've had in the last three years and saw a visible black fog, visible to me at least. It consumed Tasha and she screamed. I was panting hard now. She crumpled to the ground, writhing there. She started to beg me to stop it all. To let her die. No way. I needed her to hurt like she hurt me. She shrieked once more before blacking out. I suddenly knew what to do. I faced the wall of fire, picked Tasha up off the ground, and walked straight through the fire. Dimitri was one of the guardians and rushed over to us. He took Tasha from me and just stared at me. "Rose, your eyes," was all he said. Two words floated through my mind. "Dark Beauty," was the last thing I said before passing out.

**OMG! IT IS COMPLETE! Well, this story is. Sorry for the shortness…Like I said at the beginning of this chapter, Dark Beauty is the sequel…Hope you enjoyed SH…Now time for DB. **

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	13. Chapter 13: Just read it!

Disclaimer: Do I even have to bother?

**Okay, so I just realized I hadn't put up the UD about Dark Beauty. Well, it's up, and I could use a few reviews and ideas! If you have any ideas PM me or for my anonymous fans, put it in a review… So, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you out there in the book store! LOLZ I had to put that out there… 8-) **

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


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